-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- She 's got nerves of steel , golf talent beyond her tender years , and a precocious flair for eye-catching fashion : 11-year-old Lucy Li , the youngest qualifier in U.S. Women 's Open history , looked entirely at home as she teed-off at Pinehurst No. 2 .

Despite a three bad holes in North Carolina , which meant she finished her round with an eight-over-par 78 , Li impressed onlookers with a composed round that saw her bounce back quickly from disappointing shots .

She left the course smiling , having followed up two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey with assured play -- including birdies at the first and fifth .

`` It was great , '' Li told reporters Thursday . `` What I was so happy about in my round , -LRB- was that -RRB- after I got doubles and triples , I was able to get it back . And I got a lot of pars after that . ''

Heading into the tournament , Li said her only ambition was to `` have fun and play the best I can . ''

But the California native can also count growing experience in her time at Pinehurst , not least how to deal with the perilous course -- which hosted the men 's U.S. Open last week .

`` It 's tough , '' said Li . `` You miss the ball by three feet and it could be like a two - or three-shot difference .

`` You could hit it three feet more right and you 'd be putting this far away for birdie . Or you could be in the bunker and struggling for a bogey . ''

Tour pros had raised doubts about whether the child amateur -- still wearing braces and standing on a box to address the media after her opening round -- should be subjected to the pressure and expectation of such a big professional event .

`` When I found out she qualified , I said , ` Well , where does she go from here ? You qualify for an Open at 11 , what do you do next ? ' '' asked world No. 1 Stacy Lewis on Wednesday .

The 29-year-old added : `` If it was my kid , I would n't let her play in the U.S. Open qualifier at 11 , but that 's just me . ''

Pressure seemed to be the least of Li 's worries as she chatted with the older members of her playing group and feasted on an ice cream during the post-round press conference .

`` She is so mature for her age , '' said 23-year-old Jessica Wallace , who played with Li and Catherine O'Donnell -- the latter also shot 78 .

`` There were times when I felt more immature than she is . Catherine and I had fun talking to her . She 's so mature , it 's like talking to another 23-year-old . ''

Li became officially the youngest player to qualify after securing her place at an event at Half Moon Bay Golf Club near her home in California .

She beats fellow American Lexi Thompson , who qualified for the 2007 Open aged 12 , to become the youngest qualifier .

But Li is not the youngest to compete at the tournament -- Beverley Klass competed in 1967 , without having to qualify , aged just 10 .

While Canadian Wallace carded 74 to be on course to make the halfway cut , seven shots behind first-round leader Lewis , Li and O'Donnell were outside the projected top-60 ahead of their second rounds Friday .

And there was n't a fairytale end for Li -- she missed the weekend rounds after carding another 78 on Friday , laced with more highs and lows as she tied for 120th in the 154-player field .

`` I 'm really happy with how I bounced back from the big numbers , '' said Li , who again had to stand on a box to reach the microphone at her press conference Friday .

`` Just be patient and not care about what happened , just go to the next shot and hit it like nothing , like it 's the first shot . ''

Her caddy Bryan Bush added : `` She proved that she deserved to be here . Her play spoke for itself .

`` It was never about score , '' he said . `` She was here for the experience and the opportunity to play with the best players in the world . She proved that she can . ''

The weekend attention switched from one child prodigy to a former one , as Michelle Wie claimed a three-shot lead from Thompson .

The 24-year-old Wie also came to prominence at a young age but is still seeking her first major title .

She birdied the last two holes to move clear of 19-year-old Thompson , who at 16 was the youngest winner of an LPGA event until that record was taken by Lydia Ko in 2012 .

New Zealand 's Ko , now 17 , fired 71 to move up the leaderboard and make the cut , being tied for 29th .

World No. 1 Stacy Lewis dropped from the opening-round lead to a tie for third after a 73 which left the American four shots behind compatriot Wie .

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Lucy Li , 11 , becomes the youngest qualifier to play in U.S. Women 's Open history

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Li records opening eight-over-par 78 , after two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey

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American misses the halfway cut after carding another 78 on Friday

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Former child prodigy Michelle Wie takes three-shot lead at halfway stage